Liquid tank with a plastic shell

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a fluid tank for storing fluid for use in a motor vehicle. The fluid tank may include a fluid tank shell that defines a chamber of the fluid tank; a heating device in the chamber of the fluid tank and configured to heat the fluid in the fluid tank; and a plastic jacket that encloses at least a portion of the heating device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fluid tank for storing fluid for use in a motor vehicle, comprising:
 a fluid tank shell that defines a chamber of he fluid tank;   a heating device disposed inside the chamber of the fluid tank and configured to heat the fluid in the fluid tank; and   a plastic jacket that encloses at least a portion of the heating device.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid tank shell and the plastic jacket are constructed of a plastic material and wherein the plastic jacket is fusion-bonded to the fluid tank shell. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the plastic jacket is integrally formed in one piece together with the fluid tank shell. 
     
     
         4 . The fluid tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating device comprises an outside wall connected to the plastic jacket. 
     
     
         5 . The fluid tank according to  claim 4 , wherein a plurality of ribs are disposed on the outside wall, wherein the plurality of ribs define a plurality of grooves on the outside wall, with the ribs and grooves establishing a connection between the outside wall and the plastic jacket. 
     
     
         6 . The fluid tank according to  claim 1 , wherein an inside wall of the fluid tank shell facing the inside chamber of the fluid tank comprises an accommodating contour configured to accommodate the heating device, and the accommodating contour further configured as an indentation or as a cavity in the inside wall. 
     
     
         7 . The fluid tank according to  claim 6 , wherein the heating device is configured to be snapped or pressed into the accommodating contour to form a force-fitted and/or form-fitting connection between the heating device and the accommodating contour. 
     
     
         8 . The fluid tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating device comprises an electrical heating element for heating the heating device, the electrical heating element comprising an electrical resistive heating element, a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) device, or a PTC film, 
     
     
         9 . The fluid tank according to  claim 8 , wherein the heating device comprises an interior chamber of the heating device configured to accommodate the electrical heating clement, the electrical heating element installed through a heating device opening of the heating device in the inside chamber of the heating device such that the electrical heating element is positioned in the heating device, and wherein the heating device opening connects art outside surface of the fluid tank to the inside chamber of the heating device, wherein the opening in the heating device is configured to be closed by a closing element on the heating device, and at least one insulating element disposed at the opening of the heating device, on the closing element of the heating device, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The fluid tank according to  claim 8 , wherein the heating device comprises a spring element configured to actuate the electrical heating element with a force such that the electrical heating element is pressed against an outside wall of the heating device. 
     
     
         11 . The fluid tank according to  claim 8 , wherein the heating device comprises at least one heat-conducting element configured to create a heat-conducting connection between the electrical heating clement and an outside wall of the heating device, wherein the heat-conducting element comprises a heat-conducting sheet metal or a heat-conducting film. 
     
     
         12 . The fluid tank according to  claim 11 , wherein the heating device comprises, a heat-conducting medium disposed between the electrical heating element and the heat conducting element and configured to establish a heat-conducting connection between the electrical heating element and the outside wall of the heating device, wherein the heat-conducting medium comprises a heat-conducting film, a heat-conducting fluid, or a heat-conducting paste. 
     
     
         13 . The fluid tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid tank comprises a pump module configured to pump fluid out of the fluid tank, wherein the pump module is disposed inside the chamber of the fluid tank and the pump module comprises an additional heating device configured to heat the pump module the fluid tank shell, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The fluid tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the heating device is configured in the form of a plate or a cylinder, and the plate configured as an acoustic plate configured to inhibit the movement of fluid in the fluid tank. 
     
     
         15 . The fluid tank according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluid tank shell is formed by a lower half shell of the fluid tank and an upper half-shell of the fluid tank, and wherein the heating device is disposed on an inside wall of the upper half-shell of the fluid tank, wherein the inside wall faces the chamber of the fluid tank. 
     
     
         16 . The fluid tank according to  claim 2 , wherein the plastic jacket is welded to the fluid tank shell. 
     
     
         17 . The fluid tank according to  claim 4 , wherein the outside wall is an outside, metal wall. 
     
     
         18 . The fluid tank according to  claim 4 , wherein the outside wall is fusion-bonded to the plastic jacket. 
     
     
         19 . The fluid tank according to  claim 14 , wherein the heating device is further configured with rounded-off edges. 
     
     
         20 . The fluid tank according to  claim 14 , wherein the plate configured as the acoustic plate is an anti-slosh baffle.